Field
An indoor device for a cassette type air conditioner is disclosed herein.
Background
In general, air conditioners are cooling/heating systems in which indoor air is suctioned in and heat-exchanged with a low or high-temperature refrigerant, and then the heat-exchanged air is discharged into an indoor space to cool or heat the indoor space. The above-described processes are repeatedly performed. Air conditioners may generate a series of cycles using a compressor, condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator.
In particular, such an air conditioner may include an outdoor unit or device (which is called an “outdoor side” or “heat dissipation side”), which is generally installed in an outdoor space and an indoor unit or device (which is called an “indoor side” or “heat absorption side”), which is generally installed in a building. The outdoor device may include a condenser, that is, an outdoor heat exchanger, and a compressor, and the indoor device, that is, an indoor heat exchanger, may include an evaporator.
As is well known, air conditioners may be divided into split type air conditioners with outdoor and device, which that are installed separately from each other, and integrated type air conditioners with outdoor and indoor device, which are integrally installed with each other. When considering a space in which an air conditioner is to be installed or noise, split type air conditioner may be preferable.
In a multi air conditioner of such a split type air conditioner, a plurality of indoor devices may bee connected to one outdoor device. Thus as the plurality of indoor devices may be respectively installed in indoor spaces for air-conditioning, an effect as if a plurality of air conditioners are installed may be achieved.
Hereinafter, an indoor device for a cassette type air conditioner in a general multi type air conditioner will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an exterior of an indoor device for a cassette type air conditioner according to the related art. As illustrated in FIG. 1, an indoor unit or device 1 may be maintained in a state in which an upper portion of the indoor device 1 is fixed to an inside of a ceiling and hung on the ceiling, and a bottom surface is exposed to a lower side of the ceiling to suction indoor air and then to discharge the suctioned air into the indoor space. In the indoor device 1, as most of the main body is disposed in the ceiling, only a panel 10 and suction grill 20 may be shown when a user looks up toward the ceiling.
The panel 10 may define an exterior edge of the bottom surface of the indoor device 1. A suction hole 11, which may be provided in a square shape, may be defined in a central portion of the panel 10 to guide introduction of the indoor air into the indoor device 1. A plurality of discharge holes 12, which may be provided to guide the air so that the air conditioned in the indoor device 1 may be discharged again into the indoor space, may be defined outside of the suction hole 11. A vane 13 to adjust a flow direction of the discharged air may be rotatably disposed in each discharge hole 12.
The suction grill 20, which may have an approximately square plate shape and in which a plurality of hole through which air passes may be defined may be mounted on the central portion of the front panel 10, that is, inside the suction hole 11. The suction grill 20 may be configured to filter foreign substances contained in the air introduced into the indoor device 1 through the suction hole 11. The suction grill 20 may have a size and shape that corresponds to a size and shape of the suction hole 11.
An air filter 30 may be disposed above the suction grill 20. The air filter 30 may be separably mounted on the suction grill 20 so as to provide for easy cleaning where foreign substances collect on the air filter 30 when the indoor device 1 is used for a long period of time. Also, the suction grill 20 may be selectively opened so that the air filter 30 may be easily separated therefrom.
That is, the suction grill 20 may be rotatably coupled to an end or edge of the panel 10. In more detail, a first end of the suction grill 20 and an inner surface of the suction hole 11 may be coupled to each other by a hinge 21. The suction grill 21 may rotate downward with respect to the hinge 21 to selectively open an inside of the indoor device 1, as illustrated in FIG. 1.
A switching button 14, which may be manipulated by a user when the suction grill 20 is opened or closed, may be disposed on a surface of the front panel 10. The switching button 14 may interfere with a second end of the suction grill 20 by an elastic restoring force thereof to prevent the suction grill 20 from rotating. When the switching button 14 is pushed, the interference with the second end of the suction grill 20 may be released, and thus, the suction grill 20 may rotatable with respect to the hinge 21.
As described above, the suction grill 20 may have a structure in which the first and second ends of the suction grill 20 are supported by the switching button 14 and the hinge 21. Thus, the suction grill 20 may be restricted in a closed state.
In the indoor device 1 having the above-described structure according to the related art, when the indoor device 1 increases in size, the suction grill 20 may also increase in size. In this case, if only the first and second ends of the suction grill 20 are supported, sides of the suction grill 20 may droop down. Also, even if the indoor device 1 itself is not changed in size, when the suction grill 20 further increases in size, the above-described limitation may occur.